System of air distribution



y 1939- w, Jv MADDEN SYSTEM OF AIR DISTRIBUTION Filed Oct. 29, 1936 INVENTOR; Wdham J Madden.

TORNEYS.

Patented May 23, 1939 SYSTEM OF AIR. DISTRIBUTION William J. Madden,.Lansdowne, Pa., assignor to The Pennsylvania Railroad Company, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application October '29, 1936, Serial No. 108,121

3 Claims.

tribution, and although capable of many uses, it is particularly useful as applied to the conditioning of railway passenger cars or like enclosures where many persons congregate in a relatively small space.

Heretofore one of the principal difliculties involved in conditioning an enclosure by means of an air supply duct having a series of outlets through which air is discharged into the enclosure is that of obtaining equal temperatures, with avoidance of drafts, throughout all parts of the enclosure to be conditioned. Unequal distribution of air in the enclosure to be conditioned is enerally due to the fact that like quantities of air are not discharged from each of the various outlets along the supply duct, or that the air discharged at each outlet is not uniformly distributed over the area thereof, or is not properly diifused throughout the space between adjacent tity of air to be discharged at each outlet, such means being operative to close the outlets completely, to close any desired number of the outlets, or to close the air supply duct beyond any one of the outlets. Desirably, also, each outlet is characterized by means for diffusing the air so that it issues in a fan shaped stream and spreads throughout the enclosure to be conditioned.

A further object of the invention is to accomplish the above described results by the use of relatively simple and inexpensive apparatus which is dependable, eflicient and easily manipulated.

Still other objects and advantages characterizing my invention will become more fully apparent from the description hereinafter set forth of one example or embodiment of the invention, hava ing reference to,the accompanyingdrawing. Of

the drawing:

Fig. I represents a side elevation, partly in cross section, showing an air supply duct having two outlet grilles incorporated therein and embodying the system of this invention.

7 (Cl. 98-106) This invention relates to a systemof air dis- Fig. II represents an enlarged top plan view, taken within the duct at one of said grilles, as indicated by the lines II--II of Fig. I.

Fig. III represents an enlarged horizontal cross section, taken atsaid grille as indicated by the 5 lines III III of Fig. I.

Fig. IV represents an enlarged vertical cross section, taken at one of said grilles, as indicated by the lines IVIV of Fig. I; and,

Fig. V represents an enlarged vertical cross 10 section, taken at one of said grilles, as indicated by the lines V-V of Fig. I.

In the drawing there is shown an air supply duct, designated by the numeral I, which is of rectangular cross section and which may be as- 15 sumed to extend throughout an enclosure to be conditioned, such as the passenger space of a' railway car. The particular manner in which the duct is connected with a source of conditioned air and its location with'respect to the space to be conditioned are not material forthe purposeof this invention. It may be assumed that the duct I has a suflicient number of outlet grilles 2 to supply the desired quantity of conditioned air to the enclosure with which the duct is associated.

At each outlet grille 2 there is provided a swinging closure and deflector damper 3. In the example illustrated, the damper 3 is hinged at a transverse shaft 4 which is located at the far side of the grilled opening 2 (speaking with reference to the direction of air flow in the duct), and has an arcuate segment 5 engaged by a worm gear 6, this gear being in turn driven through bevel gears 8 by means of a hand wheel 9, with these parts supported by a bracket ID. The hand wheel 9 is 35 disposed outside the duct I in such a manner that it is readily accessible. In an obvious manner the turning of the hand wheel 9 in one direction or" the other serves to swing the damper 3 to different positions. In one position, indicated by dot-and-dash lines in Fig. I, the damper 3 serves to close over the outlet 2 and to seal the same against a discharge of air from the supply duct. In another position, similarly indicated by Hotand-dash lines, the damper 3 serves to close the air supply duct at a point just beyond the outlet grille 2. In intermediate positions the damper 3 serves to regulate the proportion of air passing through the duct 2 which will be deflected substantially at right angles to its original direction and discharged through the putlet grille. 2. Of course, it will be understood that the means employed to move the dampers may be greatly varied to suit particular conditions.

At each outlet grille 2, vanes H are provided as within the outlet, such vanes being disposed at different angles with the central vanes substantially perpendicular to the axis of the duct, and the vanes at each end of the outlet inclined at relatively acute angles with the axis of the duct,

all for the purpose of causing the air to issue from the outlet in a fan shaped stream whereby the air is difiused and spread throughout the enclosure to be conditioned over the space between adjacent outlets.

At each outlet grille 2 -a set or series of transverse pick-up bafiles I2 is employed to equalize the distribution of air over the area of the outlet. The pick-up bafiles i 2 vary in length and are curved inwardly at their inner ends towards the direction of air supply. They extend inward from the opening at 2 and are accommodated between this opening and the transverse damper 3 when the damper is closed, in the concavity of the damper due to its curvature. They are so disposed and related to each other as to cause the stream of air deflected by the damper 3 to divide into substantially equal parts, with each part directed to a different lane of the outlet grille. It will be particularly noted that the damper 3 is of such conformation that it cooperates with the pick-up bafiles l2 to produce equal division of the'parts of the air stream and assure proper distribution over the full extent of the opening lengthwise of the duct l-, and thus over the entire area of the outlet grille. The curvature of the damper 3 is such that in its closed position it impinges upon the inner edges of the pick-up baffles l2, bridging over all the baffles of the, set and engaging the bottom of the duct I in such manner as to seal the outlet against the discharge of air. Moreover, the curvature of the damper 3 is such that when it closes the outlet grille 2 it offers very little resistance to the flow of air through the supply duct i and the usual eddy currents are eliminated. The particular intermediate position to be selected for the damper 3, when it is desired to utilize all of the outlet grilles 2 of the duct I, will be determined according to the quantity of air desired to be discharged at the outlet with which it is associated. In an obvious manner in a long duct which has a large number of outlet grilles, the various dampers 3 may be positioned in such manner as to cause equal quantities of air to be discharged at each outlet. Regardless of the, particular intermediate position selected for the damper 3 at a particular outlet, the curvature of the damper and its relation to the pick-up bafiles I2 is such that the air deflected at the outlet will divide with substantially equal portions passing through the several lanes leading to the multi-vane grille, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. I.

While I have illustrated and described one example of a system of air distribution embodying my invention, it will be apparent that various changes and modifications may be made therefrom without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the annexed claims.

able from its said outer closed position inward further and further into and across the duct, so

as to deflect more and more of the air flow therein through the outlet; and a series of transverse pick-up bailles extending inward from said outlet opening, and accommodated between the opening and said damper when the damper is closed as aforesaid, but coacting with said damper, when it is opened, to distribute the air flow deflected by the damper over the extent of the opening lengthwise of the duct.

2. In a system of air distribution, the combination with an air supply duct having an outlet opening in its lateral wall, of a transverse swinging closure and deflector damper in said duct curved lengthwise thereof, with its concave side toward the-opening, and having a closed outer position over said outlet opening and an axis of swing substantially at the far side of said opening, speaking with reference to the direction of air flow in the duct, and swingable from its said outer closed position inward further and. further into and across the duct, so as to deflect more and more of the air flow therein through the outlet; and a series of transverse pick-up baffles extending inward from said outlet opening, and accommodated in the concavity of said damper when the damper is closed as aforesaid, but coacting with said damper, when it is opened, to distribute the air flow deflected by the damper over the ex tent of the opening lengthwise of the duct.

3. In a system of air distribution, the combination with an air supply duct having an outlet opening in its lateral wall, of a transverse swinging closure and deflector damper in said duct curved lengthwise thereof with its concave side toward the opening, and having a closed outer position over said outlet opening and an axis of swing substantially at the far side of said opening, speaking with referenceto the direction of air flow in the duct, and swingable from its said outer closed position inwardfurther and further into and across the duct, so as to deflect more and more of the air flow therein through the outlet; and a series of transverse pick-up baflles extending inward from said outlet opening substantially to said damper, when the damper is closed over said opening as aforesaid, but coacting with said damper, when it is opened, to distribute the air fiow deflected by the damper over the extent of theopening lengthwise of the duct. 

